Lethbridge Minute: Issue 264

Lethbridge Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Lethbridge politics

📅 This Week In Lethbridge: 📅

• City Council will meet on Tuesday at 12:30 pm. Acting Mayor Belinda Crowson will introduce a motion for Council to advocate on behalf of Lethbridge residents regarding recent amendments to the Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) Act and the Alberta Disability Assistance Program. The motion highlights concerns over unclear definitions of employability, the lack of a right to appeal program placement, and potential changes to benefits through future regulations that have not yet been drafted. It also notes that persons with disabilities and advocacy groups reported insufficient consultation during the legislative process. The motion seeks to have the Mayor request that the Government of Alberta pause implementation of these changes, conduct meaningful and accessible consultations with affected individuals and community partners, and publicly report on the social and economic impacts before proceeding.
  
  
• Councillor Wolfe will bring forward a motion to direct the City Manager to provide options for achieving one-time operational cost savings in 2026 and for reducing the 2027 Operating Budget base funding by about $3.6 million, including analyses of potential impacts on service levels. The motion also requests that Lethbridge Utilities, grant- and fee-funded partners, the Lethbridge Police Commission, and the Lethbridge Public Library Board explore similar cost savings or revenue increases and report impacts on their services. All options and analyses are to be presented to Council for consideration during the 2027 Operating Budget deliberations in November 2026.
  
  
• The Community Issues Committee will meet on Thursday at 1:30 pm. The Committee will discuss updating the Public Art Master Plan to reflect changes over the past decade and align with the Civic Culture Plan and Municipal Development Plan. Consulting firm EVOKE Culture 2.0 led a comprehensive engagement process, including surveys, mapping exercises, artist-led sessions, interviews with city staff and stakeholders, and workshops, to gather diverse community perspectives on public art. The engagement results will inform a 2025-2034 Master Plan that emphasizes city-wide placemaking, Indigenous leadership, geographic equity, youth and emerging artist pathways, seasonal and temporary art programming, and improved governance and maintenance practices. Public Art is funded through the Capital Improvement Program, with 1% of Community Services capital project costs allocated to art initiatives, and no new funding is being requested for the update. The engagement summary will be presented to the Community Issues Committee as information, and the updated Master Plan is expected to come to Council in Q2 2026.
  
  
• The Committee will also discuss reallocating the annual $6,500 grant historically provided to the Lethbridge and District Exhibition (LDE) for parade floats to instead fund a City of Lethbridge parade float for 2025 and 2026, totalling $13,000. Moving forward, starting in 2027, the grant would be redirected to the Mayor & City Council Operating Budget as a permanent line item to cover operational costs of participating in parades both locally and in regional communities, as well as any maintenance for the parade float. The change responds to the LDE no longer requesting the grant.
  
  
• A new report shows that homelessness in Lethbridge saw its first recorded decline since 2014, with the 2025 Point-in-Time Count identifying 504 people experiencing homelessness, a decrease of just over 3% from 2024. This equates to roughly four people per 1,000 residents, based on 2021 census data. The count found that 54% were in shelters while 46% were unsheltered. The City of Lethbridge attributes this progress to coordinated local efforts, targeted government investments, and strong partnerships across sectors, as well as its Encampment Strategy, which has expanded outreach, referrals, and access to treatment facilities. Shelter capacity has increased significantly, rising from 129 to 355 beds, though usage on the night of the count was down 22%, highlighting that availability alone does not ensure uptake. City officials say there is a need to continue reducing barriers and improving access to services while building on the momentum of transitional housing, treatment programs, and outreach initiatives. 

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

Council will debate a motion asking the provincial government to pause recent changes to AISH and the Alberta Disability Assistance Program.

Do you think this is City Council’s role? Let us know what you think.

🪙 This Week’s Sponsor: 🪙

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